


Guardian Angel

by Acaeria



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Afterlife, Blood, Character Death, Gen, Guardian Angels, idk why i wrote this but yeah here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-03
Updated: 2015-12-03
Packaged: 2018-05-04 19:39:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5346152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Acaeria/pseuds/Acaeria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Dipper Pines,” said a sudden voice. It was cool, and calm, and vaguely British in accent. <br/>“Yes?” Dipper replied, shaking, looking for the source of the voice.<br/>“Born on August 31st of the year 2000 A.D., in Piedmont, California, USA, North America, Earth, the Milky Way, Dimension 46’\, to Isaac and Anna Pines. Born alongside a twin sister, Mabel. Dead as of August 31st 2012 A.D., aged thirteen.” <br/>“Wait, hold up. Did you just say dead?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Guardian Angel

**Author's Note:**

> This is what happens when you sit down to write with no idea what you want to write. It's nonsensical, noncanonical, but hopefully kinda fluffy and heartwarming.

The forest was no place for him.

Oh, once upon a time, maybe, it was, but now? Now it was a place of horror, glowing eyes watching him from every angle, whispers cutting through the air, sharp and accusing. Slicing his skin like swords. The darkness pressed in on him, smothering him, suffocating him, and he couldn’t breathe-

_“Dipper!”_

The voice was full of panic and fear. Dipper paused. _Mabel?_ he thought. He wanted to call out to her, but his mouth wouldn’t move. _Mabel, I’m here! Where are you?_ He moved his head from side to side, searching for her, but the world began to tilt and blur. Which way was up, and which way was down? He couldn’t possibly tell.

_“Dipper!”_

Mabel’s voice again, but this time she was closer, almost as if she were right next to him. Dipper winced, scrunched up his face, and blinked open his eyes.

There was Mabel, her face dirty and wet with tears, her hair tousled and her clothes torn. Her eyes were watery, wide and full of fear. Dipper wanted to say something, anything, but his mouth felt like it was full of cotton wool. He reached out toward her as her face moved in and out of focus, and noticed, for the first time, the blood on his fingers. There was an awful lot of it, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

Blood-sticky fingers came into contact with Mabel’s face. She gave a choked sob, resting her hand atop his. “Dipper,” she whispered, her voice thick and shaking. “You- You’re gonna be okay, Dipper, okay?”

 _Okay_ , Dipper wanted to say. _Okay, I’m going to sleep…_

“No- Dipper-” Mabel choked. “Just- keep your eyes open, okay? Grunkle Stan and Ford will be here soon, we’ll get you out of this. Just keep your eyes open.”

 _Why? I’m tired, Mabel. It’s okay here, I can sleep here, can’t I? It’s no bed, but it’s okay_. Mabel sobbed softly, her face blurring even more, darkening as his eyes slid shut.

“No, Dipper…” she whispered brokenly. “Dipper, please, I… Dippe-”

* * *

Dipper gasped, sitting straight up, heart hammering in his chest, blinking in the darkened room. Where was he? What was happening? He wanted to stand but couldn’t seem to manage it. He gazed around, trying to peer through the darkness, but his eyes just refused to adjust.

“Dipper Pines,” said a sudden voice. It was cool, and calm, and vaguely British in accent.

“Yes?” Dipper replied, shaking, looking for the source of the voice.

“Born on August 31st of the year 2000 A.D., in Piedmont, California, USA, North America, Earth, the Milky Way, Dimension 46’\, to Isaac and Anna Pines. Born alongside a twin sister, Mabel. Dead as of August 31st 2012 A.D., aged thirteen.”

“Wait, hold up. Did you just say _dead_?” Dipper cried, horror creeping over his skin. He couldn’t be, not yet, and not today, not on their _birthday_. The speaker didn’t reply, continuing in the same monotone as they had before.

“Cause of death: blood loss from multiple injuries sustained when the object known as the ‘Fearamid’ fell to the ground and crushed him beneath. Injuries include: large gashes on stomach, chest, arms, and legs; a cracked skull; broken ribs; both legs broken in multiple places; a dislocated shoulder; a fractured ankle; crushed feet; a broken spine; and several other bumps, scrapes, and bruises.”

Dipper’s heart was hammering in his chest as he listened to the voice’s report. His head was spinning, his thoughts racing so fast his brain was beginning to hurt. _Dead_ … The speaker’s voice droned out in the background, second to his own astonishment and horror. He wasn’t aware of it until it had stopped thinking, and a light appeared before him.

The light made a sound that could have been a chuckle. “Now that I have your attention…” it said, its voice containing a tremor of amusement. “Dipper Pines, I would like to be the first to congratulate you on your work to rid the multiverse of the demon Triangulum, better known as Bill Cipher. The Elders have reviewed your situation, and have agreed that you deserve a second chance.”

Dipper frowned at that. “A… second chance?”

“Yes. Though life cannot be returned to the dead, we can pull some strings, and return you to the mortal plane.”

“So… I can go home? With Mabel?” The light seemed to dim slightly.

“Not exactly. Your position would be what is known in your culture as a ‘guardian angel’; you’d be sent to watch over a person on your dimensional plane-”

“I’ll do it,” Dipper interrupted.

 

"Are you certain? You do realise, you cannot go back on this offer once you take it."

“If it means seeing Mabel again…” The light bobbed up and down, as if nodding.

“Very well,” it said seriously, its tone almost somber. “I wish you the best of luck, Dipper Pines.”

And with that, everything went white.

* * *

Dipper winced against the sunlight.

He was stood on a bank beneath a corpus of trees, overlooking a small pond. He frowned, not recognising the place, but then his gaze fell upon a familiar figure sitting by the water, and he froze.

“That’s your charge,” said the voice of the light in his ear, and Dipper turned his head to find it hovering just above his left shoulder. “You’re to watch over her.” Dipper gritted his teeth in frustration, curling his hand into a fist.

“ _Why her_?” he asked in frustration. But the light was gone.

He sighed, unsure of what to do. He glanced around, then took a deep breath, and headed down toward the side of the pond, sitting down on the grass beside her.

Pacifica Northwest looked up from the grass to him and let out a shriek.

“You!” she yelped.

“Me?” Dipper asked in bewilderment.

“You’re dead!” Pacifica cried. “That’s not- this isn’t- you don’t _look_ like a ghost.”

Dipper shrugged. “That’s because I’m not one. It’s complicated, and I don’t really know myself. But, yeah, I’m here now. So hey.”

She frowned at him. “Why are you here?” she asked, turning back to the water. “Why not go find Mabel?” Dipper shrugged.

“Your guess is as good as mine, I just appeared here.” He reached down into the grass and picked up a stone. Weighing it in one hand, he skipped it along the water, until it promptly sank. Pacifica watched it go, and then reached into the grass and pulled out another stone, but her attempt sank immediately.

Dipper felt a sudden rush of embarrassment, and glanced sideways to see Pacifica’s cheeks go red. _Am I- I’m feeling her emotions, aren’t I? You have got to be kidding me._

He sighed, and handed her another stone. “Like this,” he said, moving her hand through the motions. She nodded, and then did it for herself. It skipped twice before sinking, and pacifica grinned.

Dipper felt a flush of pride that he quickly squashed down.

“Thanks,” she mumbled.

“No problem,” he replied. Then, “How come you’re hiding out here, anyway?”

Pacifica scowled. “Why’s it any of your business?”

“It’s not. You just look kind of worked up, is all.”

“Yeah, well, why don’t you keep your business to yourself.” She clenched her fists for a moment, and then sighed, letting her palms open to the sky. “My dad’s dead, and my mom’s missing. Our house is a wreck. I have nowhere to go, so I came here.”

Dipper frowned. “Why aren’t you staying at the Shack, then?”

“Because I won’t be staying in anyone’s house now that it’s safe to leave. I don’t want your charity, Pines.”

“Charity?” Dipper twisted to look at her. “Pacifica… It’s called a favour. It’s what you do for a friend when they need your help. And even if they never pay you back, you still don’t resent them for it. I’m sure they’d be more than happy to have you…”

“Whatever,” Pacifica mumbled. Then, louder, “Whatever!” She got to her feet, and turned to hold out a hand for him, refusing to look him in the eye. “Come on, then, if you’re so desperate to get me to the shack. Let’s go see your family.”

Dipper took her hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. Pacifica let go as soon as he was steady, marching off toward the trees. Dipper hesitated for a moment, before hurrying after her, leaving the pond behind.

* * *

Nobody answered the door to the Mystery Shack when they knocked, but it was unlocked, and so the two of them nervously made their way inside. The inside seemed almost derelict, no different from the last time they had seen it, before the mission to banish Bill.

Then there were footsteps from the hall. Pacifica froze, and Dipper paused, as Mabel rounded the corner, rubbing her eyes. She looked a mess, to say the least. She was covered in cuts and bruises, her hair a wild mess and her eyes bloodshot and watery, with large, dark circles beneath them.

“Oh, hey Pacifica,” she greeted with a yawn. “Everyone’s sleepin’ right now. What’re you doing here?” Pacifica glanced at Dipper. Dipper cleared his throat.

“Uh, Mabel?” There was no reaction. Worrying now, he took two steps forwards until he was standing right in front of her, and waved his hand in front of her face.

She didn’t even blink.

“Um, Pacifica?” Mabel asked, walking forward, _walking straight through Dipper._

It was the strangest sensation, as if someone had stepped on his grave. Dipper was hot and cold all at once, the breath stolen from his lungs. It was an overwhelming sense of Wrongness that left him breathless long after it had passed.

Dipper met Pacifica’s gaze, and then Pacifica seemed to snap to attention, turning to Mabel. “Sorry,” she apologised. “I was lost in thought, is all.”

“Oh. So why’re you here?”

Pacifica shrugged. “I wanted to see if you were doing okay.” At that, Mabel grinned, revealing a missing tooth.

“Aw, that’s nice of you. I’m doing alright. Say, do you want some pitt cola? You look almost as much as a mess as I feel.” Pacifica paused, then nodded.

“Okay,” she said. Mabel nodded.

“I’ll go grab them, make yourself at home!” She dashed off. As soon as she was out of earshot, Pacifica rounded on Dipper.

“Why can’t she seen you?” she hissed. Dipper shook his head.

“I- I don’t know, I don’t know!”

“Ugh,” Pacifica mumbled. “It would be this, I’d be stuck with you haunting me forever.”

“Sorry,” Dipper mumbled. Pacifica opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by Mabel returning with the drinks. She handed a can to Pacifica, and started up a conversation.

Dipper slowly drifted away, passing through a wall like a ghost. He drifted from room to room, finding that a handful of the resistance fighters were still here, camping out in Soos’s breakroom. Grunkle Stan lay in his own bed, staring at the ceiling blankly. He didn’t see Dipper as he floated on the ceiling above him.

He drifted down through the floors to the basement, where Great-Uncle Ford was sitting. He called his Uncle’s name, but to no avail. And that was when the first of the tears began to spill down his face.

He’d returned from death, only to find himself invisible to everyone but _Pacifica Northwest_ , of all people.

Not that he had anything against Pacifica, but he was a little bitter.

_It’s not fair._

* * *

Pacifica emerged from the Shack, feeling somehow slightly better from her conversation with Mabel. She was just about to head out into town when she heard sobbing coming from the side of the house.

She rounded the corner to see Dipper sat there, his face buried in his knees. She felt tempted to turn away and leave him, but she was the only one who could see him now. She felt almost responsible.

So she instead plonked herself down beside him. “Dipper?” she asked, her voice not quite as comforting as it could be.

“Go ‘way,” Dipper mumbled. Pacifica sighed.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s not _fair_! I get a second chance at life, just to find that _you’re_ the only person who knows I’m here? I hate this. They’re all suffering and I can’t do a single thing to help. I’m just so _useless_! And now I’m stuck here. With you.”

Pacifica’s spirits sank. Not that she didn’t share his sentiments (because, really, if she was the only one who could interact with him, that meant that he’d be following her around, and well, they weren’t exactly the best of friends), but it was a little harsh.

“Well, sorry,” she snapped. “Believe me, I’d rather not have to deal with this, either. But this is the way it is, so just, _suck it up_! You can’t change anything, and neither can I.” She leaned back against the wall of the shack and sighed. “We’re _both_ useless.”

They sat like that for a long while.

* * *

Life, as it always did, went on.

Gravity Falls was repaired and, in places, rebuilt from the ground up. People resumed their old lives, or created new ones, if the remnants of their old life no longer existed or were too painful to think about. People who had never associated before became the best of friends, and old friends were found dead, their statues shattered or their corpses crushed beneath the rubble.

Pacifica buried both her parents in month after the Oddpocalypse, and then sold the land their house had stood on, as a last ‘fuck you’ to the people that had raised her. As such, she was welcomed into the Mystery Shack, though with much reluctance; Pacifica Northwest was rich enough to buy her own house, after all.

She was still a child, though, and the Pines insisted.

And upon seeing Dipper’s hopeful face, she couldn’t really argue.

Mabel left for California, but returned that winter for Hanukkah, and after a year, she and their parents moved to town. Because Mabel just wasn’t happy in California anymore- not without Dipper there.

Pacifica found herself dragged on supernatural adventures by Dipper, and found that she actually enjoyed them (despite how she moaned and groaned). Eventually Mabel began to tag along, and Pacifica found that she found out a lot more about Mabel during those expeditions than she did from living with her for several weeks.

After two years, it became almost possible to forget her old life- forget the horrors her family had inflicted on her. She was Pacifica Pines, paranormal investigator, honorary mystery twin, and she was happier than she had ever been in her life.

* * *

“Paz!” Mabel’s scream echoed around the dark basement of the creepy old house they’d found in the woods. “Pacifica!”

“I’m coming!” Pacifica cried. Her fingers flicked the torch switch, but the light refused to come to life, and the shadow bats continued to claw at her hair and face. “Come on, come on,” she whispered.

Then, a sudden light appeared from behind her, and the bats froze, all melting into dust. Pacifica spun around, and there was Dipper, his entire body glowing. He laughed at her expression as Mabel staggered out from behind a broken desk that had being lying on its side.

“What’s going on?” she mumbled, shielding her eyes from the glow. Then she froze, her eyes growing wider and wider. “ _Dipper_?”

Pacifica shared a glance with Dipper and the two of them looked back to Mabel. “You can see him?”

“You can see me?”

They spoke at the same time, which made Mabel blink in surprise. “Um… Yeah? I don’t… Dipper, is that really you? What’s going on?”

Dipper gave a choked laugh and rushed forward, wrapping his arms around Mabel and hugging her. “You can see me,” he whispered.

“Dipper, I love you and I miss you and all, but what the hell’s going on?” Mabel asked, pushing Dipper away.

“Uhh…” Dipper glanced back at Pacifica, then back at Mabel. He sighed. “It’s a long story. Let’s get out of here first, then we’ll explain.”

* * *

Mabel sat in silence listening to her brother’s story, and then remained silent for a while afterwards.

Then, she grinned. “Well, if I can see you now, surely the others will be able to too! You can come back home, and it can be like it was- but better! Because we’ve got Paz with us now- oh, this is gonna be so much fun, I can’t wait to see Grunkle Stan’s face-”

* * *

“Hey, Grunkle Stan! Grunkle Ford!” Mabel called as she, Pacifica and Dipper approached the shack. “Hey, Soos!”

“Hiya Dude,” Soos greeted, sparing her a glance. Then, he did a double take. “Is that…?”

“Dipper?” Stan asked, sitting forward in his chair.

“What?” Ford cried, his head whipping around to stare. Mabel burst into giggles.

“Holy Moses, your faces! That was priceless!” Dipper grinned.

“Hey, guys.”

“But- but- how?” Ford spluttered. Stan and Soos seemed to stunned to speak. Dipper shrugged.

“Honestly, I have no clue how this works, and I’m not about to question it.”

Stan grinned. “Welcome back, Kid,” he greeted, getting to his feet and ruffling Dipper’s hair. Before he knew what was happening, Dipper found himself wrapped in a group hug, and breathed in, smiling to himself.

_I’m home._

****  
  



End file.
